From the beginning of the article:
Daily mobility and social exclusion are two areas that have become increasingly important in the social sciences, but which are often dealt with as separate issues. Nevertheless, recently published studies (Lucas, Grosvenor & Simpson 2001; SEU 2003) have demonstrated the direct relationship between the lack of territorial accessibility and the process of social exclusion experienced by certain groups of citizens. The purpose of this article is to follow this line of investigation in greater depth and analyse the relationship between both areas, highlighting the implications of a dominant mobility model based on private transport that fosters a process of social exclusion in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (BMA).
Our working hypothesis is that the present organisation of urban territory favours an increase in daily travelling both in time and distance, increasing the costs that accordingly derive from this situation as well as citizen dependence on mechanical means of transport. This is a situation that places private vehicles in a dominant position with respect to other forms of transport and means that those citizen groups that do not have their own vehicle can encounter serious difficulties when it comes to access to certain goods and services, and can even find themselves excluded from the labour market.
In this article we will show that women, young people and immigrants are the citizen groups most vulnerable to this process of social exclusion which originates from the BMA territorial and mobility model and explain the dysfunctions experienced by the affected members of these social groups.